Quick open display package



Nov. 2, 1965 N. B. POTTER QUICK OPEN DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed Sept. 10, 1963 SHRUA K L 195 7/6 IN VEN TOR N/CHOLAS 5. PO T TE R HTTUR/VE) United States Patent 3,215,267 QUICK OPEN DISPLAY PACKAGE Nicholas B. Potter, New York, N.Y., assignor to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 307,897 Claims. (Cl. 206-78) This invention relates to display packages. More particularly it relates to display packages which are readily and quickly openable and to a method of packaging.

Display packages generally comprise a backing board having the packaged article mounted thereon. The backing board usually contains advertising or attention getting material. At counters and other areas in stores, display packages are used to capitalize upon impulse buying habits.

A widely used display package is the so-called blisterpack. In this technique, a relatively rigid precontoured plastic sheet which generally conforms to the product outlines is sealed to a backing board to include and support the product. The difficulty of obtaining access to blisterpackaged articles is the chief drawback of this packaging technique.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a display package which is attractive and readily and quickly openable.

The method of packaging of this invention comprises wrapping the article to be packaged in a thermoplastic film, forming the film tightly around the article, preferably by shrinking heat shrinkable film by subjecting the film to heat, making at least one cut in the film, preferably on a relatively fiat surface of the article, and bonding the film Wrapped article to a backing board at the side having the cut.

The quick open display package of the present invention comprises an article to be packaged, a backing board, the article being wrapped in tightly fitting thermoplastic film; the film having at least one cut on one side of said article; the article being supported on said backing board by said film at the side having the cut.

By virtue of having a cut, lifting of the package from the backing board propagates by tearing the cut made in the film wrapper so that removal of the packaged article automatically unwraps the article, thus simplifying access. In a preferred embodiment two intersecting cuts are provided to permit tear propagation from lifting in any direction.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the shrink film wrapped article showing the side having the intersecting cuts.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the packaged article showing the packaged article bonded to a backing board.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view in elevation of the article shown in FIGURE 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view from the rear of the packaged article and backing board combination showing in outline the intersecting cuts.

Turning now to the drawings in detail, wherein a preferred embodiment is shown, there is shown in FIG- URE 1 an article to be packaged such as a box of razor blades or other article preferably having at least one relatively flat side 12 which is representative of the articles which can be packaged according to the present invention. Wrapped around the article is a tightly fitting film 14. Intersecting cuts 16 are provided on side 12 of the article 10. The cuts 16 are made through the film 14 but do not extend into the side 12 of the article 10. The angle of intersection of lines 16 is not narrowly critical but should be such as causes shearing of the film by propagation along the cuts as the article is lifted from the backing board. Included angles of 15 up to or greater are preferred. In opening, a wedge of the film adheres to the backing board and the cut is propagated into the remainder of the film on the backing board side of the packaged article. tirely from the backing board the film wrapper slips off the packaged article altogether or is so torn as to allow ready removal of the article from the film.

In FIGURE 2 the article 10 is shown bonded by wrapper film 14 to a backing board 18 designed to carry printed material at area 20. It will be noted the article 10 is bonded to backing board 18 at the side 12 of the article 10 which bears the intersecting cuts 16.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 the film wrapped article 10 is mounted on backing board 18, which may be provided with a hanging opening 22, by bonding, such as with adhesive 24 between the film 14 at wall 12 of article 10 and backing board 18. Cuts 16 as shown are such that lifting of the article 10 will shear the film 14. This can be readily appreciated once it is realized that adhesion of wedge shaped areas adO, abO, bcO, or cdO as the article 10 is pulled from edge ad, ab, be or cd respectively will cause film shear along the lines of the wedge shaped area opposite the pulled or lifted side of article 10.

The material of which the backing board is made is not critical. Generally, paper, paperboard, linerboard, plastic, metal, foil, or other compositions can be used as well as other relatively stiff materials, including film, sheet, panels and the like.

Thermoplastic film which can be used in the present invention comprises one or more synthetic organic thermoplastic polymers. Generally useful polymers are homopolymers of alpha olefins, compounds having the formula RCH=CH wherein R is hydrogen, or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group such as an alkyl group, particularly an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and copolymers thereof with one or more other compounds copolymerizable therewith which contain polymer producing unsaturation such as is present for example in carbon monoxide and in organic compounds containing the ethylene linkage C=C e.g. styrene, vinyl fluoride, butene, vinyl acetate, vinyl formate, methyl methacrylate, monobutyl maleate, 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, N-methyl-N- vinyl acetamide, methacrylic acid, ethyl acrylate, acrylic acid, isoprene, acrylamide, vinyl triethoxysilane, bicycloheptene, divinyl phosphonate and the like as well as other types of polymers including polycarbonates and condensation products of equimolar amounts of dihydric phenols and mono and/or diepoxide, the thermoplastic polyhydroxyethers.

The term heat shrinkable as used herein refers to the property of a film whereby it contracts in length and/or width upon exposure to sufiicient heat. Shrinking is generally attributable to a reorientation of molecules which were previously oriented by stretching the film either uniaxially longitudinally (machine direction) or horizontally (transverse direction) or biaxially (both directions). Shrinkability in the film used herein is not critical, the only requirement being that the film fit closely to the product to be packaged, but this is most easily achieved by shrinking.

The term heat shrunk describes the condition of a heat shrinkable material after application thereto of heat sufficient to cause shrinkage.

The method of adhering the film to the backing board is not critical and such means as solvent sealing or the use of adhesives, including modified polymers or special inks are contemplated, or the film or substrate can be modified, if necessary to permit heat sealing.

As the article is removed en- What is claimed is:

1. Package comprising an article to be packaged, a backing board, thermoplastic film in close conforming contact with said article, said film having at least one elongated cut at one side of said article, at least one end of said cut being spaced from any other cut in said film, the film enclosed article being supported on said backing board by adhesion of said film to said backing board at the side having said out whereby separation of the packaged article from said board initiates a tear in said film by propagating and enlarging said out and enables easy removal of said article from said package.

2. Package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the article to be packaged has at least one relatively fiat side and the film portion having said elongated cut is adjacent said relatively flat side.

3. Package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the film is of polypropylene.

4. Package comprising an article to be packaged, a backing board, thermoplastic film in close conforming contact with said article, said film having a pair of intersecting cuts at one side of said article, the film-enclosed article being supported on said backing board by adhesion of said film to said backing board at the side having said cuts whereby separation of the packaged article from the board initiates a wedge-shaped tear in said film by propagating and enlarging said cuts and enables easy removal of said article from said package.

5. Package as claimed in claim 4 wherein the included angles of the intersecting cuts range from 15 to 175.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,390,350 12/45 Bodle 20656 2,554,841 5/51 Rumsey 2064533 2,769,533 11/56 Booth 20656 2,920,759 1/ 60 Carnes 20656 3,111,221 11/63 Chapman et al. 20665 FOREIGN PATENTS 620,802 5 61 Canada.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. PACKAGE COMPRISING AN ARTICLE TO BE PACKAGED, A BACKING BOARD, THERMOPLASTIC FILM IN CLOSE CONFORMING CONTACT WITH SAID ARTICLE, SAID FILM HAVING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED CUT AT ONE SIDE OF SAID ARTICLE, AT LEAST ONE END OF SAID CUT BEING SPACED FROM ANY OTHER CUT IN SAID FILM, THE FILM ENCLOSED ARTICLE BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID BACKING BOARD BY ADHESION OF SAID FILM TO SAID BACKING BOARD AT THE SIDE HAVING SAID CUT WHEREBY SEPARATION OF THE PACKAGED ARTICLE FROM SAID BOARD INITIATES A TEAR IN SAID FILM BY PROPAGATING AND ENLARGING SAID CUT AND ENABLES EASY REMOVAL OF SAID ARTICLE FROM SAID PACKAGE. 